Draft expert: Washington Huskies full of NFL talent

When the Washington Huskies take the field this fall for new head coach Chris Petersen, they’ll do so with more future NFL stars than they’ve had in a long while, according to Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout and CBS Sports in his preview of the 2014 Dawgs.

UW cornerback Marcus Peters is one of the players Rob Rang singles out as an NFL prospect. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

While Washington has long been a bastion of future NFL talent, producing stars like quarterback Warren Moon, center Olin Kreutz, running back Corey Dillon and safety Lawyer Milloy, it’s been a while since the Huskies have had a draft class of more than two.

Running back Bishop Sankey and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins were both selected in last month’s draft, but by the time the 2015 NFL draft comes around, the Huskies won’t have had more than a couple of players in a class since defensive back Fabian Washington, tackle Khalif Barnes and defensive back Derrick Johnson were all taken in 2005.

But Rang sees that streak coming to an end next spring, naming eight players who have a shot at hearing their names called by an NFL franchise.

Chief among them are two juniors in linebacker Shaq Thompson and cornerback Marcus Peters, each of whom has a chance to be selected in the draft’s first couple of rounds of next year’s draft should they choose to come out early. Rang already calls Thompson a “top 50 prospect” and believes Peters could project as highly as Desmond Trufant, who was taken by the Atlanta Falcons No. 22 overall in 2013.

Rang’s list is slanted toward the defense, with five of the eight lining up on that side of the ball. He mentions standouts along both lines, including both starting offensive tackles, which bodes well for Petersen as he attempts to replace three-year starter Keith Price at quarterback this fall.

So who are the other potential future pros on the Huskies squad? Click through the gallery below to find out who Rang thinks has the best shot of making it to the NFL, as well as what makes them primed for the next level.